


The Surprise

by nah_she_didnt



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Canon Compliant, Enemies to friends to eventual lovers, F/M, James Potter/Lily Evans - Freeform, Jily fanfic, Marauders era, One Shot, jily
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-07
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-17 20:08:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28605717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nah_she_didnt/pseuds/nah_she_didnt
Summary: The marauders plan to throw a surprise party for Remus' 17th, but they can't do it alone.
Relationships: James Potter/Lily Evans Potter
Comments: 6
Kudos: 15





	The Surprise

**Author's Note:**

> I’m trying hard to write at least one short drabble a day for the first week that I have my new fanfic page. So far I’ve focused on the marauders, but I’m hoping to get a Romione fic that I’ve had in my brain for years down soon! This is my fourth fic, so hopefully I can keep it up for the next three days (yikes, we’ll see). Thanks for reading!

“Psst. Evans.” 

“Evanssss.” 

“OI! RED!”

Lily slammed her book down on her library desk. “Bloody hell, I’m trying to study! What do you all want?”

Sirius grinned and held up his hands in surrender. “Sorry! But we had to get your attention somehow.” 

“And now you have it,” said Lily, checking her watch, “for exactly thirty seconds before I have to get back to this potions essay.” 

“Hang on, do we have thirty seconds starting now or thirty seconds starting when you started talking?” asked Peter, looking confused. 

“Twenty seconds,” said Lily in a bored voice. 

“Right, we’ll get right to it,” whispered James. “We need your help for Remus’ birthday.” 

Lily sat up a little, her interest piqued. Out of the four marauders she found Remus to be the most tolerable by far. They’d become fast friends in third year when they bonded over muggle records (Remus’ mother was a muggle with fantastic taste) and had grown closer this year when Remus stepped in to be Lily’s potions partner. Neither Mary nor Dorcas had continued with Potions to NEWT level, and Lily couldn’t very well work with Severus after he called her such a foul name in front of the entire school.

She sat back into her chair and folded her hands into her lap. “I’m listening.” 

James grinned. “Thought you might. Now, we need to get him out of the common room on the night of his birthday. Do you think you could rope him into some boring prefect duties or potions-nerd club for an hour or so on Friday at around nine?” 

Lily narrowed her eyes. “First of all, prefect duty is not boring, it’s a very important practice at Hogwarts dating back hundreds of years--” 

“No, because that’s not boring at all,” interrupted Sirius.

Lily narrowed her eyes even further. “And second, the potions club doesn’t meet on Friday nights. Not that you’d know, Potter. Last I checked I was still top of the year in Potions.” 

James sighed. It was true that he and Lily had battled ferociously for top spot in every class since first year, but he had never bested her at potions. “Fine. prefect duty then, nine to ten-ish on Friday night. What do you say?”

Lily considered his proposal for a moment. On the one hand, she liked Remus, and very much wanted him to have a perfect birthday. On the other hand, she suspected that she knew why James wanted Remus out of the common room for an hour on the eve of his seventeenth birthday. 

“So let me get this straight,” said Lily, eyeing all three boys as she spoke, “you want me to tell Remus that he has fake prefect duties on Friday night so that you can set up for a party in the Gryffindor common room? A party that will certainly violate school rules, the very rules that prefects are meant to uphold?”

“I told you she wouldn’t go for it,” groaned Sirius. Quick as a flash, James dropped to one knee and grabbed Lily’s hand dramatically. 

“Evans, please,” he implored, “it has to be you. We’ve tried and failed to surprise him on his birthday for the last five years! We’ve become boring and predictable! We need you to do this so that he doesn’t suspect that we’re throwing him this party. It’s for his own good, really.”

“Oh, so since I’m so boring, he wouldn’t dream of suspecting my part in all this?” Lily asked indignantly.

“Yes,” chorused Peter and Sirius. James shot them dirty looks. 

“No, of course not,” James lied easily, “we just know you can pull it off. Come on, Evans, you like Remus, Remember? Remember how much he isn’t an ‘arrogant bullying toerag’ like me?”

“Someday you’re going to have to actually accept my apology for calling you that,” Lily muttered, though she could feel her resolve breaking down. 

“So is that a yes then?” James asked, excitement growing in his eyes. 

“Well...” Lily paused, then sighed loudly, “yes, it’s a ‘yes,’ but please--” Before she could finish her sentence, James had let out an exclamation of joy and kissed the back of her hand. “Lily, you’re a bloody lifesaver, you are.” 

“Yes, well,” said Lily, who was trying very hard not to blush at James’ kiss, “if you destroy the Gryffindor common room and get hauled in front of McGonagall you’d better tell her I had nothing to do with it.” 

“How gallant of you,” drawled Sirius, but he was smiling, “seriously though, Evans, thank you. We might have an actual chance to surprise him this year.” 

“I doubt it. He knows you lot would never pass up an opportunity to debauch the whole of Gryffindor house.” 

“True!” piped up Peter with a mischievous grin, “we do take great pride in our duty to cause a scene wherever we go. Anyway, we best be off. We need to make a run to pick up supplies for the party. Thanks again, Evans!” and with that, Peter and Sirius turned and walked away from Lily’s table. 

Lily eyed James suspiciously. “How are you supposed to pick up supplies for the party? It isn’t a Hogsmeade weekend.” 

James winked. “Ask me no questions and I’ll tell you no lies.” 

Lily rolled her eyes, trying to suppress the small smile that formed on her face at his words. “Well then, I suppose you should be off. Lot’s to do before Friday, I’m sure.” 

“You are correct, lovely Lily. Ta!” James rose to his feet, bowed deeply, then turned on his heel and skipped off to join his friends. 

Lily sighed as she put her forehead on the table and covered her head with her arms. If James Potter got her called in front of McGonagall for this party she’d never forgive him. Although, a tiny part of her knew that wasn’t true.


End file.
